Papago Wells

As I have mentioned before on this blog, Louis L’Amour is my all-time favorite author…outside of Father’s word…of course. I have talked before about my love for Louis and his writings. I own all of his books in hard copy…and now many as audiobooks on Audible. Can’t help myself…love the way Louis thinks. 🤷‍♀️ This post is inspired by one of my favorites of Louis’ works…Last Stand at Papago Wells.

First…let’s get some administrative stuff out of the way. I am going to use a few small quotes from this book. The way Louis has the main character speak…is tops. I love his use of the wording…so I am going to quote Louis. Let’s talk copyright stuff first. Bantam Books, Inc. first published Last Stand at Papago Wells for Louis L’Amour back in 1957. The quotes I am going to use come from the beginning of Chapter 5 in my audio version produced by Random House Audio. I would highly recommend this book if you like Westerns. If you don’t…I still recommend it. Hopefully, after my post…you will understand why this book is important to me…why Louis is an important man to me.

Model of Intimacy

In December of 2022, I did a post called Model of Intimacy. In this post, I share that for reasons still unknown to me…Father created me to be a model of intimacy for His children. As a result of this being a part of my purpose in this world…I was created to share my heart and my thoughts. In this post, I am going to walk you through some details that will allow you the reader to KNOW parts of me intimately. How I think and how I feel. Also…why I think and feel the way I do. What is important to me. Why these things are important to me. How these things became important to me. The reader can see how I developed and matured over the years to become the woman I am today.

I am standing before you naked…allowing you to use me…for intimacy. For some reason, my girls want me to think out loud. They say it helps them. Here I am thinking out loud for you. Being transparent with you.

Before I share the storyline in the book…I want to share one aspect of how I use my critical thinking skills and how that came to be. It is relevant to you if you want to learn.

Worldview

On this blog, I have discussed worldview. When homeschooling my children, worldview was not optional. It was an integral part of their education. They each spent hours being educated on the importance of having a Christ-centered view of the world we live in. One aspect of teaching worldview is discerning the belief systems of the people around you.

For example, I once had a blog through a homeschooling magazine. Different companies would send me curriculum which I then would do reviews on my blog regarding my thoughts on the curriculum. One such curriculum our family reviewed promoted the concept of studying movies as literature developing critical thinking skills along with discernment. Our high school worldview curriculum had us reading MANY books doing the same thing.

The idea was…watch a movie, show, and/or read a book and answer a list of questions. It wasn’t just about looking at the characters and how the author developed the plot…the scene…the relationships, etc. Most generally…when people are critiquing a piece of work…they are looking at the shallow aspects of the story. What we did…was dive deeper within. Our goal was to discern…what was the belief system of the characters…and even deeper…the author who was writing the story.

Evaluating

What did they believe? How did this compare to the truth written in Father’s word? What agenda was the author teaching? What belief system was he/she basing the story on? What character and/or fruits did the characters exude? What did the author want the reader to believe? What were they promoting…trying to sell you? What was the author NOT saying overtly…but saying covertly? Were there hidden messages contained within the story and/or writings? If so, what were they?

This changed me. Really grew the muscles within me to look deeper. Exercised muscles I didn’t know I had. Developed discernment to a greater degree for me both in my soul and my spirit man.

Grandpa

I think part of my convictions stem from my grandpa. I spent oodles of time with him until he passed away from cancer. Every Sunday, we would sit and talk for hours about all things in life. He said on repeat…we should introduce public hangings again. It would deter criminals from committing these crimes today.

Grandpa had some wisdom there.

Our justice system…needs some help.

For starters…man doesn’t understand true justice…is not brought about through man’s systems. Only the Creator of the Universe…can bring justice. He does that through the sin offering and the guilt offering. Those are for another post another time.

However, He did give us a system here…to bring a measure of justice for His children.

I am fascinated by the justice system. Always have been. It is rare if I am NOT following some trial. I have recently finished the trials of Jennifer Crumbley, Michelle Troconis, and Hannah Gutierrez-Reed. Currently watching the James Crumbley trial…and recently watched the documentary series on John Wayne Gacy.

For years, I have studied serial killers, rapists, profilers, detectives, pathologists, etc. All things related to crime and implementing justice…in every direction…I am ALL IN.

After watching the John Wayne Gacy documentary series…I wondered why it took 15 years to execute the man. This is how long his appeals took to run their course…but why did the taxpayers pay to keep the monster alive? He killed 33 young men…most of whom he buried in his crawl space. According to authorities, John Wayne voluntarily confessed to each of the crimes and shared all the little details of how each death occurred. I believe 27 of the bodies were recovered under his home. A few he said he threw in the river.

Something is wrong here.

Answers

In the Crumbley trial…I saw a young man who wanted and needed help. He failed to get it.

In Hannah’s trial, I saw a young woman who needed guidance. She needed to understand…as did the others… safety matters. Lives are at stake…and character…principles… discipline…are powerful guiding forces that keep not only you safe…but also the people around you. A life was taken…because of lackadaisical attitudes. Tragic.

Character matters. It costs you. It costs those around you.

Man needs direction. Directed by truth. It is a picture of the Israelites in the Old Testament. When they were sent into the Wilderness as punishment for their crime of rebellion against Father…one…everyone had to die…all except Joshua and Caleb. He was wiping the nation clean of the filthy stench of arrogance. Two…they had to learn humility…dependency on Him…and how to FOLLOW His leading. They refused to follow before…so they would follow Him driving them in complete circles for 40 years. It was about justice for Father.

Man needs this again. They need to learn to FOLLOW His direction. His leading. Learn to follow the cloud by day and the fire by night. They NEED to learn to follow and obey.

We need a new generation…a clean one. A generation undefiled by the arrogance of man we currently experience daily.

We need a theocracy again. A nation following their Creator. Not a nation built on humanism and moral relativism.

Our children need security. Safety. Stability. Only Christ can provide that for our children. Our children are perishing by the masses. They are the walking dead for real. Horrifying to watch.

Papago Wells

Let’s look at the storyline in the Last Stand of Papago Wells.

The story is set in the Arizona desert. A group of strangers passing through the desert converge at a watering hole called Papago Wells. I love how Louis mixes a variety of stories within a story. Each person’s story adds flavor like spices in a soup.

The conflict in this story is a war party of Apache Indians who are attacking the group at the watering hole. The strangers struggle to unite and fight for their lives against the Indians.

The main character of this story is Logan Cates. Logan has been a loner…and has some experience with Indians in his past. By a narrow margin, he was voted to be the leader of the group.

A couple of characters are important to this post. Jennifer Fair and Grant Kimbrough. Grant was born into a wealthy family. After the war, he sold the estate and wasted away the money. He became a professional gambler. Basically…he was gambling his life away. He went from high class to low class.

Jennifer was running away with Grant with plans to marry him against her father’s approval. Her dad…knew the quality of the man courting his daughter.

During the days fighting for their lives at Papago Wells, Logan had a series of conversations with Jennifer about her choices in life. LOVE THIS SO MUCH!

Values

Jennifer didn’t like the West. Didn’t like and/or understand how her father’s convictions in life guided the decisions he made. She thought he was a hard man…evil. Jennifer was basing this opinion on the fact she had seen her father kill a young man. What she didn’t know…was that man had been hired to kill her father. The enemy wanted to steal his ranch. It was kill or be killed.

Jennifer was running away because in part…she wanted an easier life. She didn’t want to work hard. Instead, she wanted to wear pretty dresses, attend galas, and socialize with others. She didn’t want to sweat, get her hands dirty, and do the work it took to build a home…a family…a life.

Jennifer’s father valued work and what the work could build…if done rightly. Jennifer didn’t value work. Instead, like the immature little girl she was inside…she wanted to play her life away. This is why she hooked up with a gambler. They were two peas in a pod. Adult children…playing with their lives.

Logan’s Comments

I absolutely LOVE what Logan said to Jennifer. Louis L’Amour…was my kind of man. LOVE his worldview.

Logan said to Jennifer, “You are a hothouse flower…soft and appealing but useless.”

Louis went on to write about how some men want women as toys…to use them “for their lighter moments.” Those are called prostitutes.

Logan goes on to educate Jennifer on what the West…a rough and tough country needed from a woman. A woman who could work hard to build a home…and handle guns and defend their home from the enemy if needed. A woman who could raise “strong sons.” Men who were builders.

Logan was a visionary. A man of great conviction about what our country needed. A man convinced of the caliber of woman he needed as a wife.

Men who want to build something that lasts…KNOW a prostitute…a woman who is lazy…free…cheap…and easy…is not a woman who can stand strong and endure the storms life brings her way.

Yoking

This reminds me of a conversation I had recently with Vanessa…and a snippet of that same convo I shared with Donovan this morning.

Vanessa had been focused on building an online business. She did that because Donovan was stressed about the finances.

This is what I shared with her…this is important for the world we live in.

Father created roles for the two genders. The husband is supposed to be a picture of Christ. He is supposed to provide for His wife and children. To build a home.

The wife’s role is to serve her husband by helping him maintain and manage that home. Also…to raise the children…serving them and teaching them to die for Christ.

Those roles He instituted in the beginning, and He hasn’t swayed from them. We hear…it takes a village to raise a child. Well…if you are abdicating your roles as a parent and giving that responsibility to the village…you will pay for that on Judgment Day. Father never gave you as a parent a pass to parent the children He entrusted to you. As a parent, it is your responsibility to raise them up in the way they should go. That way is Christ. If you are failing to do that…you will be held accountable for defaulting on that role.

Louis L’Amour had this mindset. It is in almost every book he writes. Louis understood the roles for men and women. He understood the line between good and evil and he expressed it clearly in his books. He never glamourized evil. Louis spoke truth about it.

Pressure Release

When you understand the roles Father created for men and women…and you embrace them fully…it releases the pressure the world places upon you.

I told Vanessa during our convo on this…if Donovan is triggered about money…then Donovan needs to do inner healing on money. He needs to get healing about it. Needs to seek Father on the stress and get the truth to set him free from the lies he is believing about money. He did do that. One of the lies he believed was that he was not a good provider. Father told him…I am the provider. All Donovan needed to do was follow Father’s guidance so Father could provide.

That removes the pressure to figure it out…and perform.

I also told Vanessa…if you are triggered about the fact Donovan is triggered…you need to do inner healing about that. You need to get healing because Donovan’s issues are his…yours are yours. Donovan needs to deal with his. You deal with yours. Then problem solved. See? Easy peasy.

They did do this…and it freed both of them up to stay in their lanes as I often call it.

Donovan stays in his roles. Vanessa stays in her roles. All is well in the household. PEACE! Love me some peace.

House That Lasts

I am really proud of my kids. My sons…are examples of men who are building a house that lasts. A house that stands.

They allowed Father to pick their wives…and they have a clear understanding of the roles in their homes.

As the kids were growing up, I said on repeat…I am not going to raise lazy children. Not happening. As a result, my kids are hard workers because they see the value in hard work. They learned that from me. I could easily work myself to my death…if left to myself. I LOVE to work…love to produce…love to create.

While living with Hannah, she said to me one day…I see your schedule…routine. She started asking me questions about why efficiency was important to me. Why work was important to me.

For me, I love lists…love order…love seeing a project come to completion. I love domestic duties as I call them because I can see the before and after. Before…there is a sink of dirty dishes…after I wash them…I see a clean sink and cabinets. When the laundry is done…the mess is gone.

I like a clean orderly house. A house that smells clean and looks clean. It is a depiction of the woman I am. A clean woman. A woman with strong convictions that order my life.

Not only do I keep a clean home…physically speaking. I also keep my body’s home clean. My soul…my spirit…and my physical body. This vessel. That means I do the work necessary to clean up the garbage in my heart and mind. I have also taught my children to do this as well. Sometimes, I have to fight them to do the emotional clean-up work…but eventually, I always win…with the help of their spouses. 😂

Times of Old

Just like Louis L’Amour developed Logan Cates and so many other characters in his stories as visionaries…so am I. I am always thinking generationally into the future. My future…my children’s future…my great great great grandchildren’s futures. The future of mankind.

We need a reset in this world. Man needs to see the value in having a solid work ethic. We need to ditch the laziness, the entitlement, the victim spirit, and many other perverse mentalities and poor belief systems mankind operates in. We need to get back to seeing the value of hard work. The value of building homes that last. Building homes through healthy marriages…to meet the needs of our children.

Our children have needs and the most basic of those needs is to be loved by both parents…a man and a woman united in marriage…who love one another fiercely. A man and a woman united in fighting each other for each other if need be. United in fighting the enemies of their souls, their marriage, their family, and their children. We need husbands and wives who will fight to their death to protect the souls of their children. To build a boundary wall around their home to keep the enemy out.

Men and Women

We need women who see the value in building instead of being prostitutes lazily hooking up and spreading their legs for any man who winks her way. We need women who will do the hard work to deal with her desperation to get some attention from a man…a woman who will do the inner work to become a clean mature woman who KNOWS her value and worth…cuz she built that value and worth. Women who will require a man to work for her if he wants to get in bed with her. Make him PROVE he is worthy to crawl into her bed. Prove he loves her. Make him lay down his life and die for her. If he won’t…let that man find someone else to play with cuz honey…you are worth more than being treated like a man’s play toy. Stop allowing men to treat you like that.

We need men who see women as precious…that women are too valuable to molest and treat like a whore…even if she is one. Men who will have clear sexual boundaries and stop molesting women thinking they are merely toys to play with. Require a woman to be clean…mature…virtuous. Show her and tell her…she has far greater value to you if she isn’t fake and flaunting her boobs to every Tom, Dick, and Harry that will look at her body.

Men and women need to grow up and mature. Start acting their physical age. We need adult parents to raise children. For far too long…we have had children raising children. This is why society is shit.

Louis

I am so grateful all those years ago while educating my children at home…Father was also taking that opportunity to educate me. Studying worldview was a key factor in developing me into the woman I am today. If affected my womanhood in more ways than I can convey.

Learning the skills of looking deeper into what people are saying and what they are not saying…and how that educates me on their worldview…has been an eye opener for me.

Louis L’Amour’s writings are full of incredible principles man should be living by today. Louis never once mentions Christ…yet I see so much of Christ in Louis’ writings.

By the end of the Last Stand of Papago Wells, Logan’s words and the experiences during the fight, convinced Jennifer Fair…Logan was right. It is an incredible story with lots of valuable spiritual lessons from Father if you have the eyes to see, the ears to hear, the heart to know, and a mind to understand.

I would encourage you to check out the book. The narrator on my audiobook is Jason Culp. He is one of Mitchell and I’s favorite narrators. He does a great job sharing the story.

I am encouraged about the future of our world…especially our nation. Firmly, I believe great changes are coming our way. Judgment and justice are coming…but also deliverance, freedom, and healing along with it.

I look forward to seeing a nation of men and women who will join me in building a new home…a new nation. One that puts Truth/Christ at the center…right where He should be.